Automotive vehicles have windows that are opened and closed via regulator assemblies that are either manually operated or power controlled. A typical regulator assembly comprises a plastic tape having perforations spaced along its length. The tape is attached to the base of the window and is slidably mounted in a channel track that is fixed to the inner doorframe. The tape is routed around various guiding devices, e.g., pulleys or guide blocks, located near the belt line of the inner doorframe. The tape is additionally coupled to a tape drive, which comprises a manually operated handle or an electrically powered motor. The tape drive has teeth engaging the perforations of the tape, which push or pull the tape to slide the attached window up or down respectively. Additionally, counterbalances are often utilized to maintain the tension in the tape during operation.
Because of their stiffness, the perforated plastic tapes cannot be bent below a minimum known radius without incurring damage to the tapes. This adds to the amount of space required to assemble the regulator assembly. This also limits the distance that the windows can extend or retract, and in some cases prevents the window from retracting below the belt line of the doorframe.
Additionally the teeth of the tape drive subject the perforations within the plastic tape to a significant amount of stress during operation. As a result, the perforations tend to elongate and wear prematurely compared to the rest of the regulator assembly, therefore adding unnecessary maintenance cost and down time to the vehicle.
Due to the complexity of the aforementioned parts comprising the regulator assemblies a significant amount of volume, cost, and weight is added to the vehicle. In vehicles containing multiple regulator assemblies, the volume of the assemblies cut down on the amount of room available for other equipment, e.g., wiring harnesses or motors, and ultimately on the amount of room available to the passengers. This is especially critical in smaller vehicles where space is a premium.